Adrian walked up to the first wheel and let out a slow sigh. Not in nervousness, not in excitement. It was the kind of sigh he had observed others doing in situations like this. He had always studied people, after all. Mimicking behavior was easy and people often accepted those like them, not someone without the compacity for complex emotions like anxiousness.
Ridding himself of these useless thoughts Adrian returned his focus to the wheel
As the wheel floated in front of him, metallic and spinning slowly. Adrian glanced at the options.
[Elf]
[Orc]
[Dwarf]
[Goblin]
[Falcon]
[Bear]
And many more many of which he had never heard about.
He frowned slightly, leaning back as he watched the symbols flicker past. If he had a choice, he would pick a humanoid race. After all Familiarity had value. But he definitely didn't want to be a human. Humans were weak, he knew that better than anyone, and he had spent enough nights watching the frailty of the body in the hospital. A doctor's life was full of reminders of just how easy the human body was to break.
A dwarf or an elf would make sense. Durable or agile, strong or long-lived. Anything but human. Anything but weak.
He rested a hand on the edge of the wheel. His fingers were steady. He could feel the faint hum of energy beneath the surface. A tiny part of him something he had long ignored was curious. How would it feel to be strong in a way he had never been before? But before these thoughts could grow he shook them away, he didn't care about strength or power all he cared about was survival.
With a quiet flick of his wrist, he spun the wheel.
The symbols blurred as the wheel rotated. Adrian watched, expressionless. People would probably squint, hold their breath, maybe even mutter words of luck under their breath. He had done that once in a video game. It seemed pointless.
Still, he let his eyes follow the wheel, scanning each option as it passed.
It slowed almost to a stop. Adrian thought he got lucky. High Elf. That's interesting. Long lifespan, decent magic potential, and humanoid enough to be comfortable. These are points he could remember from his past life when he would play games with his so called friends.
High Elf. He whispered the word quietly to himself. Good.
And then, just as he allowed a tiny smile, the wheel ticked one final time.
[Emerald Viper]
Adrian's lips pressed together. Of course. Nothing in life went exactly as he planned. Not this, not medicine, not anything. A snake. Emerald-colored he guessed, which at least sounded impressive, but still a snake. A weak, small, fragile body that would struggle for survival.
He clenched his fists, then relaxed again. Frustration passed quickly. Emotions were useless anyway. Adaptation was everything. He would adapt. He always did.
"I guess it is what it is," he said, voice low and even. He turned toward the second wheel, the one that would decide the circumstances of his birth. He did not bother with a ceremonial sigh this time. There was no point in pretending, no one to impress. He reached out and spun it.
The wheel flickered through the options rapidly. Adrian did not imagine his life. He did not picture noble mothers or a snake kingdom. He had never been the type to hope. Waiting was enough.
The wheel slowed, finally stopping on one of the longest and most terrifying descriptions he had ever read.
[Born to the empress of the Verdent Forest along with hundreds of siblings. From the very beginning, you had to compete for everything, from food to a place to sleep. After a week of observation, it seemed that your mother had made up her mind. Looking at her kin, she unhinged her jaw and shot forward, devouring tens of baby snakes in a single second. Luckily, you were positioned far from your mother because of your weakness. In that moment, you and your surrounding siblings quickly turned around and dashed toward the exit of the cave driven by pure instinct . Within seconds you made it out and shot into the bushes, splitting from your siblings. It was every snake for themselves. You kept moving, trying to get as far away as possible. After a couple of hours, you finally stopped and found a tree hollow to collapse in.]
Adrian read it through, slowly blinking. He felt nothing. Life as a serpent would be hard. That was a given. A few more difficulties at birth mattered little. Survival was survival. Pain and hunger were natural. He had seen worse in hospitals.
"Of course," he muttered, turning to the last wheel. He could feel a tiny trace of anticipation creeping in, though he would never admit it. He had spent a life expecting rules, procedures, and outcomes. Something about this last wheel felt… different. He spun it.
The third wheel flickered through options. Adrian leaned closer, reading aloud to himself for once, because the names amused him.
[Divine Mage System]
[Indestructible Physique]
[Bloodline Awakening]
[Ultimate Reflex Protocol]
[Mind of a King]
[Talent devour]
All of them sounded powerful. Any one of them could make a snake far beyond ordinary. Adrian tilted his head, curious in a way he had not allowed in a long time. Not excitement, just curiosity. Strategy. Possibility.
The wheel slowed. Tick. Tick. Tick.
And finally, it stopped.
[Infinite Evolution System]
Adrian studied the words, letting them sink in. Infinite. Evolution. System.
The name alone implied power. Growth without limit. Potential beyond imagination. He could feel a faint sense of satisfaction, the first real emotion of any sort since the wheels had appeared. Not happiness, not fear, not hope. Satisfaction. That was all.
It would be difficult. Life as a snake would still be unforgiving, dangerous, and harsh. But now, with this system, Adrian could change that. He could shape himself, evolve beyond the limits of his fragile new body, and become something far greater than the humans he had once observed.
No regrets. No hesitation. Just calculation. Adaptation. Survival. Ascension.
He looked at the three wheels one final time. Species. Environment. System. The decisions were made. Fate had given him a cruel start, but opportunity lay ahead. The path would be dangerous. Many of his siblings would die. Many predators would hunt him. The mother who had nearly devoured him remained a threat in the forest. But Adrian did not plan to fall prey. Not to weakness, not to chance, and certainly not to anyone else's expectations.
He stepped back, breathing in slowly. Well, this was it. The beginning of a new life. He would not allow it to be wasted. Every lesson from his previous life, every observation, every bit of knowledge he had accumulated as a doctor all of it could be applied here.
A slight smirk crossed his face. Not at anything particularly amusing. Just… acknowledgment.
"Let's see how far this goes," he whispered to no one, his eyes narrowing slightly. "I am not going to lose. Not now, not ever."
And with that, Adrian's new life began.